The Sunset
by insaneAi
Summary: A one-shot about a small instance which may or may not have happened near the pond of Ai's house. Rating: contains no explicit content, and simply conveys the pure innocence with which I see Enma Ai.


**I always thought Ai and Hone onna were a beautiful pairing, but couldn't find any fanfic on them in here. So I thought I'd add this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Jigoku Shoujo/Hell Girl and this fanfic is purely for the purpose of fandom's entertainment.**

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Ai's pitch black locks were dangling at her sides in slight unrest from the young wind. Her black skirt was gently brushing the sensitive skin around her knees, a feeling she has gotten used to. Her white fingers were gently resting at her sides letting the wind flow between them. Her delicate posture displayed nothing else other an innocence of a child, but of a child filled with cold hatred and tired indifference. Her bright crimson eyes were blankly eyeing the ever setting sun, or maybe the butterfly which was playfully flapping its wings before her. For all Hone onna knew, she was called to the edge of the familiar pond by her Mistress. Onna's delicate skin was smiling to the sun from beneath the revealing kimono, defined collarbones creating barely visibly shadows on her fair skin. Her dark hair was occasionally falling on her shoulders, gently tickling her skin under manipulation of the weak breeze. She waited patiently for her Mistress to speak to her on why she was called, knowing that in this never-ageing world, time held no significance. She was certain Ai felt her presence but was becoming increasingly wary of her Mistress' prolonged silence.

"Mistress, I believe you wanted to see me?" she spoke gently not wishing to interrupt Ai's thoughts. Ai did not turn to face her female servant.

"Yes" was the only silent word she pronounced, which was lazily conveyed to Hone onna by the wind. The petite woman waited for her Mistress to say more, but Ai seemed to have returned to her previous state of silence, her eyes still focusing on the image in front of her. Hone onna started hearing distant voices of Ren and Wanyudo inside the house, which was a sign that they have returned from their recent investigation and would most likely wish to report their findings to Ai. In that case, Hone onna felt the urge to hurry and find out what was troubling her young Mistress. Surely, whatever it was, she was ready to sacrifice her flesh and mind for the sake of what was Ai's cause. After all, she owed her current existence to this girl of white skin and bright red eyes. If it was not for Mistress, Hone onna would have been one of those numerous damned poor souls burning with unspeakable agony in Hell again and again. There was no question about her owing everything she has to this young girl.

"Mistress, there is something troubling you, isn't there?" she attempted again to obtain a response from the small figure standing several steps away from her. She noticed that Ai's fingers on her right hand shifted slightly, a scene which a normal human eye would never manage to capture.

"I don't know the feeling of being troubled" was Ai's simple response, her voice flowing through the wind and gently entering Hone onna's ears like silk. This time the girl's voice displayed more assertiveness to it, however it never failed to have confidence in it, as if it was engraved into her tone forever.

Hone onna accepted her words with patience, knowing that her Mistress was not allowed to feel any emotions. It was silly of her to ask such a question.

"Then is there something you wish me to do?" she enquired with a sense of readiness to fulfil whatever Ai may order her to do. After few instances Ai slowly rotated her body to face the female follower, and she did so, Hone onna could not help but watch with a feeling of content as the girl's uniform changed the direction it was flowing at. The black tidy skirt was outreaching towards the pond behind the petite silhouette of the girl, slightly hugging her slim thighs and only barely showing the space between her legs. The raven black hair of the girl was dancing joyfully around her head as she turned, her long locks leaving traces of fresh sweet scent in the wind as they brushed through it. Hone onna now had her brown eyes locked with blood red ones gazing at her with neither love nor hatred.

"There is a place in the human world that I want to visit" uttered Ai with no emotion in her voice, only the cold velvety beauty remaining in it. Hone onna listened intently, her sub-consciousness not managing to ignore the delicate movements of Ai's pink tender lips as she spoke.

"Is that so, Mistress? Then I will go and call Ren and Wanyudo" said Hone onna, her figure shifting towards the house as she started taking quiet steps to reach the other servants and inform them of the new task. Her kimono was gracefully flying behind her, as her speed almost increased.

"Hone onna" the silky voice reached her ears from behind and she ceased her movement. Usually, the only instances that her name was called by the bearer of that voice was when she was expected to turn herself into a scarlet doll and be handed to strangers' to fulfill their revenge. She froze in her steps as her mind immediately assumed her next actions to be to shrink into a tiny figure, but realised that the context was different, there was no client standing beside them, there was no one to give the doll to. She turned around to confirm that she did not hallucinate about hearing her own name from her Mistress' thin rosy lips. Upon turning, she saw the large red eyes still staring at her.

"You are the only one coming with me" acknowledged Ai, with the tone of usual formality. Hone onna's eyes widened only slightly, again making it impossible for mere human beings to ever detect that. She stroked the side of her kimono subconsciously, embracing its soothing effect, and heard the Mistress' soft and even steps walking close to her. The female servant shifted her gaze and saw Ai stop on her right side. She inhaled a bit of the clean breeze and locked eyes with young Ai as the girl lifted her head to face her beautiful servant, her eyes still excluding the tones of warmth or compassion.

"This is not a usual business trip, is it?" carefully enquired Hone onna, not wishing to annoy the Mistress. To her question she did not receive a response, but instead she felt Ai's lean forefinger gently get in touch with the outer side of her right hand which was resting on her kimono. Hone onna only took a glance to confirm what she sensed, and returned her eyes to Ai's again and this time she saw something different in them, something entirely new. As if the cold wall still remained undamaged, but something fresh and possibly something bearing a little warmth seemed to be hiding behind that wall. _But maybe I imagined it_, she thought, as Ai broke the intent gaze and continued walking, and Hone onna followed her.

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**Thank you for reading, and please leave reviews, good or bad, all are appreciated.**


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